Analysing Collaborative Environments in Smart Cities

Abstract

This paper seeks to analyse the use of new technologies by city governments in smart cities with the aim at improving e-participation of the citizenry in the public arena. To achieve this aim, this paper performs an e-survey sent to leading European smart cities about the relevance of collaborative governance in strategies of cities, the main pillars and outcomes of smart governance and the model of participation in developing a smart city. Also, an examination of 47 local governments of smart cities included in the working group of creative citizenship in the EUROCITIES network is performed during May 2017 with the specific purpose of collecting data about smart technologies used for e-participation. Findings indicate that, although relevant, less than 50% of sample smart cities have created citizen participation platforms to promote citizen involvement in public affairs and only a few of them promote online public consultations, discussions and petitions.